Moving to Moab

Sunday, May 8, 2005 On my way to start my summer job running rivers for Red River Adventures in Moab, Utah. Spent the last 2 weeks criss-crossing my way through New Mexico and Colorado to see friends and scenery, and enjoyed myself immensely. Its finally the last leg, the drive from Denver to Moab. With most everything I own in my Saturn I head west on Interstate 76, followed by my friend Eli, who will help me settle in and be my trusty climbing partner for my first few weeks actually living in Moab. Just outside of Denver, after cresting the foothills and beginning the up and downs of the mountains I begin to feel too happy and comfortable about my future....Time for a reality check. As I'm coasting down the hill curving left with the interstate I keep my eyes on the traffic, but feel secure with my tried and true interstate driving skills. But something is different. I can see headlights way too well, which should be blocked by the cement median separating the east and west bound interstate lanes. I continue cruising down around the corner squinting to see if it's true, and then the lights start flashing brights to dims. Horrified I realize the flashing lights are heading east bound in the west bound lanes, but its worse, this car is heading directly at me in the passing lane. With little time and no space to maneuver between the cement median and car I'm passing I step on the gas to finish the pass and jerk my car to the right. No exaggeration, I came within 30-40 feet of hitting the car head on. Now why this car was going the absolute wrong way in the worse lane possible - I have no idea, nor can I fathom how it put itself in such a predicament. Needless to say the incident brought me back down from cloud nine and the rest of the drive to Moab was relatively uneventful. Monday, May 9, 2005 Finding a place to camp for cheap at 2 in the morning in the first cool days of summer in Moab is nearly impossible. Finally we wiggled our way into a spot in Hal Canyon, threw our sleeping bags on the ground and crashed. Around 7 am Eli woke me so I could see the beautiful sunrise on the cliffs surrounding our sleeping nook along the Colorado River. Having seen such beauty many times before it was refreshing to hear someone else's appreciation for such things. By 9 am we sat eating breakfast in a city park in Moab. I forced down some cereal then made my way to Red River to meet the new boss and guides.